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Geography

It is situated near the river Aufidus (the modern Ofanto), on a hill on the right (i.e. , south) bank, 9.6 km (6 miles) southwest from its mouth, and 9 km southwest from Barletta.

History

It is primarily known for the Battle of Cannae, in which the numerically superior Roman army suffered a disastrous defeat by Hannibal in 216 BC (see Punic Wars). There is a considerable controversy as to whether the battle took place on the right or the left bank of the river.

In later times the place became a municipium, and remains of an unimportant Roman town still exist upon the hill known as Monte di Canne. In the Middle Ages it became a bishopric, and again saw military action in the second battle of Cannae, twelve centuries after the more famous one (1018). Ultimately the town was destroyed in 1276. Saint Roger of Cannes, (c. 1060 - 1138), was the most notable of the bishops.